Improved fire-extinguisher



GEOEGE OLAEK, JE., OE BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVED FIE-EXTINGUISHER.

Specification forming part of- Letters Patent No. 87,544, dated March9,1869.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, GEORGE CLARK, Jr., of Boston, in the county of Suolkand State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Fire-Extinguishers, of which the following is a full, clear, andexact description, reference being had to the accom- Y panying drawing,forming part of this specification, and in which- Figure l represents 'asectional elevation of a fire-extinguishing apparatus constructed inaccordance with Vmy improvement; and Fig. 2,

. a view, in elevation, of the perforated charger used in saidextinguisher, showing the same closed and as attached to the stopple ofthe apparatus.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This my improvement relates to apparatus for subduing or extinguishingfires, whether on sea or land, which is of a portable character, andfrom which, when in use, waterl impregnated with carbonic-acid gas isdischarged at the will of the operator, the pressure to effect thedischarge being produced by the generation of the gas in the waterwithin the apparatus.

In such apparatus it is usual to employ a perforated charger, holdingone of the chemicals, and which is entered by a screw-threadedconstruction of it within a water vessel or receiver, in which the gasis generated, on the charger (which also ac ts as a stopple to thereceiver) being screwed home, and a valve in its bottom opened bystriking a pin projecting upward from the bottom of the receiver, whicheii'ects the necessary admixture of the chemicals and water.

My invention in fire-extinguishers of such o character consists in anovel mode of hanging or attaching the perforated charger within thereceiver, including the use of an independent stopple to the latter, andpeculiar manner of liberating' .the chemical or chemicals within thecharger by the moistening on immersion in the receiver of a seal to thecharger-valve.

By this myimprovement not only is there an economy 'in construction, butgreater security insured against explosion or premature generation ofthe gas-that is, before the openingv through which the charger has beeninserted has been stopped-and other facilities or advantages secured.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, A represents the receiver, whichis a strong metallic vessel; and B, the perforated metallic' Thischarger is inserted through acharger. contracted mouth or opening, a, ofa tapering character, in the top of the vessel A.

Said charger is provided with a hook, l), for the purpose of eiiectingits suspension of or from an eye, c, arranged within the receiver at itstop, or, as shown in Fig. 2, attached to the conical stopple C, made,say, of rubber, and

which serves, after the charger has been inserted, to close the month oropening a, and that is held down Or in place by a metallic hasp, d,pressed'flrmly down upon the rubber stopple by a button, c, the haspbeing hinged to the top of the vessel A. so as to admit of the latterbeing easily and quickly closed airtight.

The charger B is made with a hinged bottom, f, constituting a valve,that is closed by a piece of cloth, g, one end of which is perma` nentlyfastened to the hinged bottom j', and the other end secured to the sideof the charger, so that after a short but timely immersion, to preventpremature escape of the chargers contents, the water in the receiver Awill loosen the seal or cloth g and open the bottom f.

The vessel A is constructed with metal loops h, through whichshoulder-straps t are passed, to facilitate transportation and use ofthe apparatus. Said vessel is constructed, at or near its bottom, with adischarge-aperture, into which is iitted a tube, 7c, that carries astopcock, Z, and to this tube is connected aiiexible hose, m, carryingat its end a nozzle, n, suitable for directing and delivering the jet ofgasied fluid upon a fire when discharged from the apparatus.

To charge the vessel A according to one method or mode, a quantity ofbicarbonate of soda, or its' equivalent, is put into it through theopening a at the top, and said vessel nearly filled with water. Thecharger B, having been previously removed from the vessel A, is lled, ornearly so, with tartaric acid, or its equivalent, the hinged bottom fbeing closed by pasting on the cloth g. Said charger is then quicklyinserted through the opening a, and

suspended by its hook b to the eye c in the receiver; or it may havebeen previously attached to the eye in the stopple G, and the stoppleafterward made to immediately close tight the opening a, after which thehasp d and button e are adjusted to securely hold the same down or inplace. This done, the Water in the receiver loosens the paste on thecloth g, when the Weight of the contents of the charger forces open thebottom f, and so establishes the necessary admixture of the twochemicals. A volume ot1 carbonic-acid gas is thus generated, and theapparatus at once ready for use.

The gas remains in the vessel A until the cock Z is opened, when theexpansion of the gas will force out the aerated w ater in a powerfuljet, that may be directed upon a iire, which will be quicklyextinguished, and further combustion prevented, and the apparatus bebrought to bear upon smoldering remains at a considerable distance fromit.

Another method of charging the apparatus consists in placing thetartaric acid into the bottom of the receiver or vessel A, and thebicarbonate of soda within the charger; or another method is to placeboth chemicals in the charger. By adoption of' this latter method thevessel A may be kept standing open and the chargers ready for immediateuse, which can be done quickly by the mode herein described ofsuspending the charger and closing the receiver without risk ofexplosion or premature escape of the chargers contents into or withinthe Water in the receiver, the sealed valve or hinged bottom not openinguntil the stoppage of the receiver has been perfectly effected.

By constructing the apparatus as described the cost is most materiallyreduced.

I do not herein claim extinguishing fires by means of carbonio-acid gasand Water, as I am informed that that has been patented in this countryand in Europe.

What is here claimed, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is-

1 The combination of the perforated charger B, hook b, eye c, andstopple G, the latter being made to iit the aperture a in the receiver,and secured, when in its place, by ha-sp and button, or-theirequivalents, substantially as specied.

2. The chargerB, provided with a hinged bottom or valve, secured, whenclosed, by paste or cement soluble in Water, applied to a cloth or otherequivalent seal, made to unite the free end of the valve with the bodyofthe receiver, essentially as herein set forth.

GEO. CLARK, J R.

Nitnessesz B. R. KNoPP, E. S. HAYWARD.

